A 13-acre former industrial site across from the Hard Rock Bristol casino was purchased for $7 million by the founding partners in the casino venture. The property, at the corner of Catherine Street and Gate City Highway, was bought on September 6th by Exit 1 Development, which has a Roanoke address, from Nulife Glass VA Realty.
The property was assessed at $1.52 million, according to the deed obtained by Cardinal News. The site is currently being used for employee parking but might be used for expansion in the future.
The report cited Andy Poarch, a casino spokesperson who said that the property was purchased by partners in the casino project – the United Company and Par Ventures.
“It is currently being used for team member parking and is available for overall parking needs. The reason for the purchase is to be prepared, in advance, to meet future growth demands, as they may arise,” Poarch said.
Allie Evangelista, President of the Hard Rock Bristol
The property, which has been vacant for years, was last home to Nulife, a British recycling company that promised to invest $7 million into the property and create 46 jobs but could never get the state environmental approvals needed. Prior to Nulife, the property was the home of Crowley Dairy.
In an interview on November 1, about two weeks before the permanent casino’s opening, Allie Evangelista, President of the Hard Rock Bristol Hotel and Casino, said that having enough parking was a concern, as it is for most casinos, and officials were considering their options.
The temporary casino opened in July 2022 with about 600 employees. That number more than doubled in recent months, to around 1,400 needed for the permanent casino, hotel, restaurants, and entertainment venue.
On November 14th, the full Hard Rock Bristol celebrated its grand opening, about six years after it was first announced. A week later, a ‘Team Member Parking’ sign bearing the Hard Rock logo had been hung on the chain link fence surrounding the site, which is narrow at the front but stretches back several blocks until it meets a residential neighborhood.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2024/12/03/87253-virginia-hard-rock-bristol-purchases-nearby-land-for-7m-in-anticipation-of-potential-expansion
